Porsche 917 Concept Pays Tribute to Iconic Le Mans Winner

The first Porsche 917 was unveiled 50 years ago. Today, Porsche paid tribute to the car that would go on to win Le Mans in 1970.

Just one image of the Porsche 917 Concept was released today. Porsche says the concept that’s based on the original 917 Porsche unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 1969 will be displayed starting on May 14 at the Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen.

It will be joined by the first-ever 917 which was unveiled in 1969. The car will be restored to its original condition and displayed next to the 917 concept and nine other Porsche 917s.

In other to accurately reproduce the original Porsche 917, Porsche reused and restored as many parts as possible from the car. Other body parts which couldn’t be restored were built to 1969 specs.

“Our approach to the authentic handling of classic cars has changed considerably over the past ten years,” explains Achim Stejskal, Director of the Porsche Museum. The company reiterated the importance it places in authenticity and ensuring historical accuracy in every restoration headed for the museum.

This original 917 wasn’t used in Le Mans, but other 917 models were. That said, the 917-001 was the genesis for every subsequent successful 917 Porsche racer. Restoring the first 917 took over a year and relied on a team of museum mechanics and former technicians and engineers from Zuffenhausen and Weissach.

The 1970 Le Mans winning 917 wore the number 23 which is displayed on the concept unveiled today. The red and white paint job of the original 917 is reproduced on the Porsche 917 Concept.

If you’re in the Stuttgart/Zuffenhausen region this summer, you will want to check out the stunning Porsche 917 Concept. It will be displayed along with other significant 917 models from the past until September 15.

Charles Jolicoeur was studying to be a CPA when he decided to drop everything and launch a car website in 2012. Don't ask. The journey has been an interesting one, but today he has co-founded and manages 8 websites including EcoloAuto.com and MotorIllustrated.com as General Manager of NetMedia360. He also sits on the board of the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada.

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